


Like Coming Home

by pterosounds



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, camp!AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-06 23:18:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3152027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pterosounds/pseuds/pterosounds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Laura's second year as a camp counselor. She knows the ropes and how to handle anything nature or rambunctious children could throw at her. But when a new staff member shows up and causes tension between counselors, Laura realizes that maybe she isn't quite prepared for everything. (Hollstein Camp!AU) ON INDEFINITE HIATUS</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pre-Camp Training

> _"It's like coming home after a long trip. That's what love is like. It's like coming home.” -Piper Chapman, Orange is the New Black_

There's one sure-fire way to tell a veteran camper from a novice. A well-seasoned individual will have their belongings efficiently packed into a single duffel bag and a backpack. A beginner? They need to make three trips to unload their car. Laura started off like the latter, back in the summer before first grade. Her dad had been nervous to send her off to a residence camp, so he started her off with the day camp program with the rest of the girls in their troop. He was the only male Girl Scout leader in the area, and Daisy Troop 307 had gained quite a bit of attention because of that.

Sure enough, Mr. Hollis had packed Laura's backpack a little too full. Inside: three different kinds of bug spray, the highest SPF sunscreen he could find at the drug store, two water bottles, a rain poncho, a change of shoes, two towels, and a secret can of bear spray. Poor little Laura could barely stand straight with the bag on.

Fast forward fourteen years. Laura, second-year residence camp counselor, swung her two small bags over her shoulder and took in a deep breath through her nose, visibly relaxing at the scent of the outdoors.

“Hello, Camp Silas.” She said to herself. “I'm back home.”

“Hey, nerd, stop talking to the trees and walk to The D Hall with me!” A familiar voice shouted from behind her.

Her head whipped around and she grinned. “Laf!” She gave her friend and co-worker a one armed hug and headed towards The Dining Hall with them. “How's college treating you, Bio Major?”

“It's rough, but I love it. I've learned so many things to talk to the kids about this year, though! Dianne isn't going to regret promoting me to Nature Specialist!” LaFontaine replied.

At the mention of the Camp Director's name, Laura sighed. “One day, when that hag is older and grayer, I'm gonna take over this camp.”

“You say that every year, Hollis. You know I've got your back on that, though.”

Laura nodded and pushed open the wooden door to The Dining Hall. She dropped her bag at the entrance and ran towards a face she hadn't seen in little less than a year. She jumped up and threw her arms around the taller girl.

“Hey, Shortstack!” Danny chuckled, easily catching her friend and spinning around once before putting her down. “I missed you.”

Laura beamed up at her friend. “I'm so glad to be back here, you don't understand. Are the three of us the first ones to show up?”

LaFontaine walked up to them, and put their own bags down. “Yeah, is Perry here yet?” Laura and Danny gave them a knowing look, causing Laf to blush. “I'm just not used to arriving without her. You know. I usually drive her here. It was a really quiet car ride...”

All three of them laughed and caught up with one another, talking about college and their off-season lives in general, while waiting for the rest of the camp staff to show up.

The other counselors didn't start coming in until at least a half hour after Laura. When Perry finally burst through the Dining Hall doors, Laf jogged up to her and helped her with her bags. Danny elbowed Laura gently while they watched, amused grins on their faces. “All of Troop 307 is here now.” Danny murmured.

Perry and LaFontaine approached them after their own lingering hug, and they resumed their conversations. Steadily, the rest of the staff members arrived. The lifeguards: Will, Sarah-Jane, and Natalie, and two more counselors: Betty and Elsie. Kirsch, the head lifeguard and Waterfront Director, was nowhere to be seen.

“He's probably in a meeting with Dianne.” Sarah-Jane said when she picked up on everyone's murmurings. As if on cue, the Dining Hall doors swung open, and in walked the Camp Director and Kirsch, followed by a short, dark-haired girl with a scowl on her face.

Dianne was six feet of intensity. Her eyes cold, her face resting in a calculated expression, and her silver hair tightly pulled back into a slick bun. Her ever-present clipboard was nestled under her arm. “Good afternoon, Silas Staff. Is everyone ready for another lucrative season?”

“The word I'm looking for is 'fun'.” LaFontaine muttered. The Director's gaze shot to them, her nostrils flaring slightly. It was no secret that everyone on staff disliked Dianne, save Will, who was her son and an over-zealous mama's boy. Even then, he still seemed afraid of her.

“As you all know, we are understaffed by one due to an unfortunate accident with an alumni counselor during the off-season.”

“She's missing a hand, but okay, way to downplay it.”

“ _Su- LaFontaine!_ ”

Dianne cleared her throat. “So, in order to remedy that, I have brought in a new addition to our lovely group of counselors. Everyone, say hello to my daughter, Carmilla.” She motioned to the girl beside her.

There was a scattered, unenthusiastic “Hello, Carmilla,” from the rest of the counselors. The girl gave them a single wave that was impossibly less enthusiastic. She gave off strong negative vibes that everyone in the room could pick up on, and it made them all slightly uncomfortable. Laura found herself staring at her, admiring the seemingly perfect curls of her hair, the curve of her waist... Laura shook her head slightly and focused back on the Camp Director.

“She is here as a favor to me, and while she will not be getting paid for her time, you are to treat her like regular paid staff.” Dianne said, placing a hand on Carmilla's shoulder, a gesture which the girl effectively maneuvered out of.

Laura felt bad for her, honestly. She would hate to have a mother like Dianne, and she couldn't imagine what it was that Carmilla did to warrant unpaid work under her. Again, she was staring at the girl as she thought about the possibilities. When Carmilla's gaze flicked up and locked with hers, Laura blushed and looked away just as fast.

“You all know I am wretched at pep-talks, and you all know what to do by now.” Dianne pulled out her clip board and removed some papers attached to it and handed them to Kirsch. “Arrange your summer schedules. Program descriptions are on the backs. Once everyone is done, we will begin first-aid review.” And with that, she left for the main office (which was the only air-conditioned building on the property). Kirsch walked up to Will, they shook hands and hugged, and then sat down at one of the dining tables. The rest of staff joined them and spread out the papers with all of the information on the summer's programs.

Carmilla, however, seated herself at a different table.

“Come on, little sis. Join the grown ups.” Will taunted.

“Bite me.” She snapped back, and the awkward air returned.

“Alrighty then!” Danny said loudly to try and bring attention back to the matter at hand, “Let's figure this stuff out. As you guys know, LaFontaine here is now our Nature Specialist, due to Hannah's... incident. So consult them on any questions pertaining to, well, nature. Now, does anyone have any preferences for units they want to lead this year?”

And with that, Danny took charge, with occasional interjections from Kirsch. Laura tried to get in her two cents, and did manage to get a few weeks she really liked, but then there was light-hearted arguing and pushing, so she removed herself from the situation and walked over to Carmilla, who was intently picking at her fingernails.

“Hi, I'm Laura!” She said cheerfully, holding out her hand.

The other girl looked up at her, at Laura's hand, and then back to her nails. “You already know my name.”

Laura slowly dropped her arm back to her side. “Er... yeah. Carmilla. Aren't you going to sign up for any units?”

“I figure I'm doing all of this against my will anyways, may as well make the experience complete by just taking what's given to me.” Carmilla replied, her voice bitter.

“What did you even do?” Laura asked, laughing awkwardly.

“If I told you that, I'd lose my air of mystery, wouldn't I, sunshine?” She smirked.

Laura's eyebrows shot up in mild surprise. “Oh... kay. I'm gonna go sign you up for whatever programs are free, then.” She walked back over to everyone else, still feeling Carmilla's gaze on her.

“Let me in, I need to put Carmilla's name down.” Laura grunted and she pushed her way into the huddle. She grabbed a pen and scribbled 'Carmilla' in several blank spaces, some people groaning when they realized that meant she'd be with them that week. Without even realizing it, Laura has signed Carmilla up for three out of the eight weeks of camp with herself.

There were five program units per week, each one staffed by two counselors. Two Brownie programs (2nd-3rd graders), two Junior programs (4th-5th graders) and one Cadette program (6th-8th graders). High schoolers who came to camp (like Laura and the other three members of troop 307 had) were CITs (Counselors in Training), and were dispersed among the units to help out with activities.

Laura's favorite age group was Juniors – they were still young enough to look at everything with awe and believe the camp stories, but old enough to efficiently follow directions. She was lucky to get half of her weeks with them. Reading over it, Laura saw Carmilla had mostly Brownies, and prayed that the new girl's attitude changed once the campers came in.

//////

First aid review was exactly the same as it was the previous year, and Laura could feel herself drifting off as Dianne went through it. The only thing keeping her awake was the fear of the Director's fury. Kirsch came up and gave a brief talk on CPR, which Laura noticed Carmilla was actually paying attention to. Eventually, they were dismissed to go and set up their beds in the closest cabin unit to the Dining Hall: Birch.

Each cabin had two bunk beds, but there were enough cabins to where only two counselors had to share. Obviously, LaFontaine and Perry got one together. The other pairs were Laura and Danny, Kirsch and Will, Sarah-Jane and Natalie, and Betty and Elsie.

“I wonder who is gonna be stuck with Count Snarkula as their third cabinmate.” Danny laughed as she made her bed. Laura rolled her eyes. “Betty will loose her shit if it's her. I don't know if you've heard her talking, but she hates our new addition.”

A frown crossed Laura's features as she heard a very loud “Oh, hell no!” from the cabin next to theirs. Betty's.

“Oops, looks like I jinxed her.” Danny commented.

Laura sighed and finished setting her stuff up, using the top bunk as storage. “Do you want to go call a quick meeting in the shelter house?” She asked.

“What for?”

“We need to sort out meals for this week and remind them to start activity planning for next week.”

“Right, right...” Danny nodded. “You really would do a better job at this than Dianne.”

Laura shrugged. “You would, too. Everyone already respects you. They just like me.”

The two of them walked out to the pavilion that stood at the center of the site next to a fire circle. “Hey hey, Camp Staff!” The taller girl shouted, her hands cupped around her mouth to amplify her voice. Laura sat down on one of the picnic tables.

“Hey hey, Danny.” A few voices called back, completing the camp custom for getting campers' attention. The other counselors filed out of their cabins and gathered around the two of them. Laura noticed Carmilla hanging out in the back, leaning against a post and looking out into the woods, the annoyed expression on her face matching the one on Betty's.

Laura absently wondered about why Carmilla chose to bunk with someone she knew disliked her when she easily could have asked Laura, but then she faintly remembered Elsie and Carmilla chatting on the walk to the campsite. Danny was going on about something with the importance of planning according to your age group, and snapped Laura out of her train of thought with a “Right, Laura?”

Carmilla's eyes flicked up to her just as Laura turned to look at Danny. “Huh? Oh, yes!”

When Danny continued on, Laura looked back at Carmilla, only to find the other girl staring at Elsie, a small smirk on her lips. Elsie was blushing and obviously trying to avoid eye contact with anyone, much less the girl giving her what Laura could only describe as seduction eyes.

The short meeting came to a close and everyone went back to their cabins, except Danny and Sarah-Jane, who Laura guess must have volunteered to cook dinner. The cook wasn't due to arrive until the campers did, much to Laura's disappointment. Vicky made the best french toast, which was easily a camp favorite. Returning campers always eagerly awaited Friday mornings for them. Laura's stomach growled and brought her out of her reverie, and she was met with an empty shelter house.

She walked over towards Laf and Perry's cabin, grinning as she heard their laughter. She opened the door and yelped, clapping a hand over her eyes as her friends jumped away from one another. “Jeez, you guys. Put a sock on the door or something!” All three of them laughed and Laura sat down on LaFontaine's bed next to them, while Perry straightened out her hair and looked around, extremely flustered.

“Laura, you need to be a bit more quiet about that. I don't want the wrong person knowing about our relationship.” Perry said, and Laura and Laf simultaneously sighed.

This lecture was beaten into everyone's heads by Dianne. Romantic relationships between counselors, especially sexual ones, were against the rules. So much so, that there was an entirely separate piece of paperwork from the Code of Conduct they had to sign. That obviously didn't stop it from happening, though. This was a job where you got very close to all of your coworkers. It was hard not to at least crush on someone else on staff. Kirsch and SJ were much worse at hiding their relationship than LaFontaine and Perry, though. Kirsch was still in the love-struck puppy stage, whereas Laf knew how to keep that part of themself under control. Regardless, the rule was in place to keep campers from accidentally walking in on two of their counselors going at it and leading everyone involved down a rabbit hole of even more repetitive paperwork.

//////

That night, everyone lounged in the Dining Hall, their stomachs full of spaghetti that Danny and SJ had whipped up. Some were planning what they would cook later – Laura was paired with Kirsch, who was arguably the best cook on staff aside from Perry – while others just chatted.

Laura looked around for Carmilla. She needed to get to know the new girl more considering they had three weeks together. The dark-haired girl was sitting on the porch, reading. Laura got up to join her, but stopped when Danny called her name. “Do you want to play Mau with us?”

Laura glanced between the porch and where her friends and a few other counselors sat. “Uh, let me see if Carmilla wants to join!” She said, grinning at her seemingly ingenious solution to her problem. At the sound of her name, Carmilla glanced up from her reading and stared at Laura through the mesh window screen, an eyebrow quirked. Laura walked out with a smile still on her lips and stood in front of the bench Carmilla was sitting on.

“Hey, so since we're going to be working together and all - and you'll be working with the others, too, I suppose – do you think you'd want to come inside and play a few rounds of cards?” She rambled, her fingers toying with the hem of her shirt.

Carmilla's expression was a splice of amusement and annoyance. “You talk an awful lot, cupcake.”

The pet name made Laura's cheeks tint pink slightly. “Well, you don't talk enough. And you know – or at least you will when we go over it later this week – communication is key when working with children-”

She was cut off when Carmilla stood up and was suddenly _very_ close to her. “If I join your game, will you stop blathering?”

Laura's breath caught in her throat, and she could see a proud sparkle in the other girl's eyes, probably due to the fact that she had rendered Laura silent.

“Maybe?” Laura sighed out, and that seemed to satisfy Carmilla. The two walked back into the Hall and joined the group.

“What are we playing?” Carmilla asked, sitting down between Elsie and SJ. Laura sat between Danny and LaFontaine.

“It's called Mau.” Danny said stiffly, obviously displeased at the new member of the game.

“Never heard of it. What are the rules?” Carmilla said, immediately picking up her cards as Danny dealt them to her. Everyone at the table winced, including Laura.

Danny smirked and flicked a card from a draw pile in Carmilla's direction. “Card for touching your hand before Mau is commenced.”

“What?” Carmilla scoffed, putting her cards down.

“The only rule in Mau is that we can't tell you the rules. You have to figure them out.” Elsie murmured to the girl next to her, who was scowling at Danny.

“This sounds like a ridiculous game.”

“It is.” Elsie admitted.

Everyone laughed.

Danny called for the beginning of the round, and everyone quieted. Cards were placed in turn, and Laura watched Carmilla's brow furrow as she seemed to try and figure out what was going on.

“Oh, so it's like Uno, right?” She said once she caught onto the pattern.

“Card for talking.” Danny pointed to the draw pile, and Carmilla's jaw visibly tensed as she snatched another card.

Once it was her turn, Carmilla hesitantly put a 9 of hearts down on a 9 of spades, her eyes not leaving Danny's. If Laura wasn't concerned that the two weren't on the brink of brawling one another, their tension could have been considered quite funny. When Danny clicked her tongue and pointed to the deck again, the table groaned quietly as Carmilla gripped the edges with white knuckles. “Card for not double tapping when changing suits.”

Laura couldn't help but snicker at the look of pure rage on the other girl's face as she bitterly took another card.

Perry ended up winning the first round – a silent killer who not once had to draw a card, either by force or accident – and Carmilla insisted on another, saying she understood how it worked.

Three more rounds passed, with another win by Perry, a win for Danny, and one for Laura. Carmilla cursed several times, earning her another card each time, and Laura was concerned for the safety of the table.

When Laura won the last round without a hint of humility, Carmilla threw her cards down. “Fuck this game. Come to me when you guys want to act like adults and play something like Hold'em.” She exited the Dining Hall and left for Birch, everyone snickering quietly as she did, even Laura.

“Jesus, I didn't know Dianne was hiring Daisies.” Danny quipped, and the laughter boomed.

//////

The next few days of training week were uneventful. Whatever social part of Carmilla that Laura had managed to coax into playing cards had disappeared as suddenly as it had sprung up. Laura wanted to feel bad, but the other girl hadn't really given her much to go on. Still, Laura found herself experiencing an odd level of interest in her. For instance, she noticed Carmilla and Elsie frequently partnering up for activities and exercises. Laura was oblivious to the fact that the two were obviously hooking up until she heard Betty complaining to Danny about it.

“On _my_ bed! Can you believe that. I'm just hoping this stops soon. The only reason I haven't turned them in is because I don't want Elsie getting fired, too.”

Then, Laura was all too aware. She caught all the little things that they did: Carmilla's clandestine brushes of Elsie's backside, the lingering looks, the constant whispering to one another.

At first, Laura assumed the uneasy feeling she got in her gut each time she saw them leave to or return from something together was anxiety that they might get fired for their actions. Yet, Wednesday, during a fire-starting review session with LaFontaine, Laura found herself snapping a piece of kindling in half as the two unceremoniously stumbled back to the group, Elsie's hair disheveled and Carmilla's face smug.

“Woah, L. That was the perfect size for what you have going, why did you- ah.” Laf stopped themself as they followed Laura's gaze. “Someone's a bit jealous they're not getting laid during pre-camp.” They joked.

Laura shook her head and scoffed. “What? Jealous? What on earth are you talking about LaFontaine? Why would I be jealous of rushed hook-ups in the Environmental Center?”

“Per seems to enjoy them.” Laf mumbled, waggling their eyebrows and shooting a sly grin at Laura, who laughed and rolled her eyes in response.

“Gross, I don't want to hear about that. I've known you both since we were six.”

“Yeah, and I know an envious Hollis when I see one.” LaFontaine quipped before moving on to a different counselor.

Laura huffed and watched as Carmilla and Elsie split to go back to their mini fire pits. What was there to be jealous of? Sure, Carmilla was gorgeous. Stunning, really. Especially with her curly black hair pulled back into a messy bun, her bangs hanging over her eyes. Her face slowly spreading into a borderline creepy grin as her fire caught- wait. That shouldn't be attractive.

Wait.

No! She was _not_ jealous, and she was _not_ attracted to Carmilla. Laura shook herself to try and clear her head. She had gone this long without acting on her tiny crushes on any of the other staff members, especially Danny, and she wasn't about to throw that all away just because of some new broody, unnaturally beautiful...

“Oh, damn it!”

“Language, Laura!” Perry exclaimed. Laura's head whipped around, and noticed Laf staring at her with a knowing expression.

Laura repressed the urge to flick them off, and turned back to her work. She knew how to start a fire. She had done it plenty of times before. She was just... distracted.

“Need help, buttercup?” Carmilla's smooth voice sounded from above her. She looked up, wide-eyed.

“Wh- no! I'm fine! Just... LaFontaine is taunting me about something.” Laura stammered. Carmilla shrugged and walked back to her place.

 _'What was that about?'_ Laura wondered as she struck a match and placed it down on the bundle of pine needles in the middle of her miniature camp fire. She smiled contentedly as it caught and she fed it with twigs.

“Good job, Hollis.” Laf said as they walked back up to her, having finished their rounds of the other counselors.

Laura nodded and glanced at Carmilla to see if the other girl had noticed her success. When she realized what she was doing, she shook herself and avoided eye contact with LaFontaine.

//////

Friday, Dianne had someone from the Counsel come in to talk about the signs of child abuse, how to look out for them, and how to report your findings. The atmosphere in the Dining Hall was tense, but everyone was paying close attention, even LaFontaine. This was something new that they didn't have last summer, and Dianne did not seem pleased that someone in a higher position was at her camp.

It was a touchy subject, but Laura made mental notes on everything the woman said. A small twinge grew in Laura's gut as she remembered girls from the previous year who had exhibited some of the signs. She tried to recall what the parents were like, but she couldn't.

While her father was an annoying, over-bearing safety nut, Laura had no doubt in her mind that the man loved her and would never do anything listed on the hand-out that she had a tight grip on.

The presenter finished up, bid farewell to Dianne, and then left. Staff was dismissed, and everyone diffused into their usual groups. Laura half listened to the conversation that LaF and Danny were having, her mind still racing with the new information.

//////

Laura was only a morning person during the summer, and that's because being a counselor kind of forces it. Regardless, no one enjoys being woken up by screaming. Danny, who always tried to be the first one to any situation, was already slipping on her shoes and sprinting out of their cabin towards the source of the noise, which turned out to be Betty, Elsie, and Carmilla's cabin. Laura dragged her feet and joined the crowd around their door. Betty was hugging Elsie tightly at the fringes of the group.

“I hate snakes so much.” Betty muttered.

Laura frowned and wormed her way to the front, wanting to make sure Danny wasn't getting herself into something she shouldn't.

“LaFontaine!” Danny called from inside, and LaF pushed their way forward and through the door. Everyone remained quiet as they listened for developments.

“How is she still asleep?”

“I don't know! Look, the snake is under Betty's bed, anyway. Can you tell me what it is and if I can just kick it out of here without fear of dying?”

A beat.

“Oh, come on, Dan. It's just a black racer. This is why I keep trying to tell Dianne to let me run a wild animal seminar-”

“LaF, your complaints about Administration can wait until after you get the damn snake out of this cabin! Is it poisonous or not?”

“Venomous is the word you're looking for.”

Some of the staff snickered.

“But no, they're not. Come 'ere little buddy.”

“That _thing_ is not a little buddy. It is a very big buddy.”

Suddenly, LaFontaine burst through the cabin door, a large black snake in hand. There were gasps and some shrieks as they walked towards the edge of the campsite, keeping the reptile at arm's length.

Danny came out shortly after and ran a hand back through her hair, an exasperated expression on her face. “Okay, maybe we can have our own native creatures lesson today. We can't let girls see us like this because then they'll freak, too.”

Laura smiled softly at the familiarity of Danny taking charge. In her dream of being Camp Director, she's always had a vision of Danny leading beside her as Assistant Director, a position that hadn't been filled since Dianne took charge. The other counselors already viewed the two of them as a Dynamic Duo. The only people to convince would be the offices back at Counsel. Well, that, and getting Dianne to step down. Laura sighed as she realized her dream might still be far off.

LaF returned empty handed and clapped Danny on the back. “That's what I like to hear. How about after lunch? The CIT's don't arrive until right before dinner.”

Danny nodded and dismissed everyone, who all went off to get dressed. Just as Laura was about to turn around and follow suit, Carmilla's voice sounded from the doorway.

“What the frilly hell is going on?”

“Glad you could wake up to help, Hot Topic.” Danny quipped.

“Sorry, Big Red, I didn't realize Saturday mornings were reserved for pajama parties.”

Laura barely bit back a snicker at the creative nick names, but managed to choke it down when Carmilla shot her a look. She bowed her head and shuffled away as Danny explained about the snake, and Laura had a feeling like Carmilla's only response was an eye roll before she retreated back inside.

//////

“Who is the new counselor?”

“Why doesn't she look happy to be here?”

“When do you think she's gonna realize studded bracelets aren't cool anymore?”

These questions, among many more, passed between the Counselors in Training during dinner. Laura was reviewing a mnemonic device for venomous snakes (red on yellow, kill a fellow, but red on black, friend of Jack) as she ate, when a group of them decided to sit around her, discussing Carmilla.

“Have you guys heard that she's Dianne's daughter or something like that?”

“OMG! So she's like, Will's sister?”

“I would hate to have Dianne as a mom and her as a sister, OMG. I feel so bad for Will.”

' _Was I this rude three years ago? I really hope not.'_ Laura thought to herself. She had heard worse things about Carmilla from between the counselors, but this time she could actually convince them to stop. When she decided she had the rhyme down, she turned to the girls and attempted to change the subject of conversation, which was probably for the best due to the fact that they were suddenly focusing on Will and starting to tread into uncomfortable waters.

“Ladies, how about we don't talk badly about other counselors, okay? Or about counselors you have crushes on. Keep that stuff in your cabins.” Laura laughed, trying to not be awkward with her request but failing horribly. They all looked at her, as if expecting her to give them something else to discuss.

“Er, Do we have any new CITs this summer, or just the regular?” She asked.

“Not that I'm aware of.” One of them, (Amber?), replied. “You know how it is. You were a CIT when we were campers.”

Laura nodded. “And that means the Juniors you get this summer might be like you when you all become counselors.”

That managed to get them into talking about age differences, which then lead to celebrity crushes, and then fanfiction, which Laura wouldn't normally have a problem discussing. Just, maybe not with a group of 14-year-olds. She laughed to herself and got up, putting her plate in the kitchen and walking back to Birch with Will, Kirsch, SJ, and Natalie.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my Carmilla tumblr blog, mistress-of-the-snark, for updates, tidbits, and inquiries.  
> Comments are always appreciated.


	2. Week 1

Perks of the job? An apparently high concentration of girls who like girls living in close quarters. It was something Carmilla could get used to. She just had to ignore the scathing looks the uptight blonde and the obnoxious red-head (aka Clifford) shot her each time she sneaked away with lovely little Elsie on her heels. It wasn't a permanent arrangement, which Carmilla didn't mind. Part of her excused it as a purposeful breaking of her mother's rules as an attempt to get fired and freed from this horrible obligation.

Carmilla knew nothing about the outdoors, and the only experience she had in childcare was from her basically having to raise Will herself. She had no idea why her mother thought that she would be a valuable addition, yet here she was, groaning as she climbed down from the top bunk. In a cabin. In the middle of the woods. She yawned and stretched, smiling to herself when she noticed that Betty (right, that's her name) was already gone. There was a tugging at the hem of her shirt, and she looked down at Elsie who smiled sleepily back up to her.

“Hey there.” Carmilla laughed softly.

“We don't have to be at D Hall for breakfast for another...” Elsie paused to check the time on her phone. “Ten minutes.”

Carmilla shot a glance at the cabin door and bit the corner of her lip. “If you insist.” She murmured, a smirk pulling across her face as she settled herself above the other girl. Elsie leaned up for a kiss on the lips, which Carmilla easily avoided and turned into a neck kiss. She slowly began to grind down on the girl below her, humming quietly as Elsie slipped a hand under the waistband of her pajama pants. Carmilla ran a hand along Elsie's side, pushing her shirt up. She brushed her thumb over the other girl's nipple and smirked as she gasped. Carmilla's hips canted when Elsie pushed her fingers into her entrance, and she bit back a moan.

Yeah, working at camp could be worth it if she got this on the weekends.

Her hips gyrated in time with Elsie's movements, and she could feel herself nearing climax when the door slammed open.

“Oh, God damn it!” Carmilla snapped, shooting up and hitting her head on the top bunk in the process. She tumbled out of the bed and scrambled to pull her pants all the way back on. She stood up and glared at Betty who countered with her own death stare.

“If you two wouldn't mind keeping your hands to yourself for one second, breakfast is ready.”

“Duly noted.” Carmilla spat back, giving her a jerky thumbs up.

Betty walked back out with a shit-eating grin, and Carmilla exercised all of her self control to not follow her out and slam her head into the corner of the cabin.

She took a deep breath and ran her hand back through her hair and looked down at Elsie, who was covering her face with her hands and muttering “Oh my god” over and over again.

“Come on, kid. It's not the first time she's walked in on us. Mother- er, Dianne can't afford to fire us, anyways.” Carmilla said, awkwardly nudging the girl with her knee.

They got dressed in khaki shorts and their bright green staff polos. Carmilla hated this “uniform” of sorts, but it was apparently necessary for arrival day because that's when parents are there. It was quite literally her least favorite shade of green. It was fake. Like the color you get from a marker.

Elsie was tucking hers into her khakis, and Carmilla promptly snorted at the idea of her tucking her own shirt in.

“Can't wait to see how wonderfully this color clashes with Clifford's hair.” She chuckled.

“Danny and LaFontaine actually pull the color off really well.” Elsie said with a shrug, and Carmilla rolled her eyes.

“Remind me to check to see if I have any weeks with the friendly giant.” She said as they walked out.

Carmilla threw her hair up into a messy bun on the way to the Dining Hall and smiled softly as she caught Elsie grinning at her. God, she really hoped the other girl wasn't starting to develop any feelings for her beyond the mutual sexual attraction. As nice as she was, she was kind of meek, which Carmilla wasn't a big fan of. But, she was cute and pretty okay in bed. And so far, the only person on staff who wasn't treating her with complete animosity. Aside from Laura.

Speaking of the devil, as soon as Carmilla and Elsie walked in, Laura called their names, inviting them to sit with her and the ginger squad. Elsie glanced over at Betty and SJ, who were at the other end of the table. Carmilla waved her off and joined Laura.

“Vicky got here about an hour ago!” Laura started off immediately, and Carmilla held back a smile. Now this girl, she was a lot different than Elsie. While she was still shy, there was a fire in her that Carmilla admired. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind and was very driven. Her only downside seemed to be her overwhelming optimism. Though, Carmilla supposed that could be endearing. And she was really cute.

“Enlighten me on who Vicky is?” Carmilla said.

“Oh, She's the cook! We don't have to make meals for ourselves anymore! And oh my God, Friday mornings we have french toast sticks, and they're everyone's favorites-” Carmilla felt her smile break through a bit, and Laura must have seen, because she faltered. “Am I talking too much? Sorry, it's not often you actually accept my invitation to sit with me, and I got excited. Crap, I'm doing it again.”

Carmilla laughed quietly. “Relax, cupcake.” She toned down her grin and focused on her silverware. “So I assume the children are a big fan of this french toast?”

And with that, Laura plunged into a detailed exposition about Vicky's most famous camp dishes, including something called Jello cake, which Laura became even more passionate about.

Vicky called out a “Hey hey, camp staff!” Which everyone returned cheerfully, and Kirsch tagged on a “We love you, Vicky!”

“I love you, too Kirsch. Alright, everyone come get a breakfast burrito. There are vegetarian ones at the end for those who want them.”

A line formed, and people piled their plates with hash browns and one burrito each. Once everyone was settled back into their seats, Laura continued. However, she was interrupted as Dianne strolled in.

It took every single muscle in Carmilla's body to keep her from laughing out loud at the sight of her mother, Dianne Karnstein, in khaki slacks and a green polo with a yellow sun embroidered on the breast.

“Good morning, everyone. The children will be arriving right after lunch. Do you all remember which campsite your unit will be with?”

Carmilla didn't. But she did remember she was with Sarah-Jane, who was nodding yes, so that's all that mattered.

“Wonderful. You know the drill. Move your belongings to the site you will be staying in, and the two in Birch need to consolidate their things into one cabin. Kirsch and William: Due to some rule changes up at Counsel, and my own executive decision, you are permitted to stay in the same cabin as your female co-counselor. Don't make me regret this. I'm trying to save space due to an influx of registrations this summer. If I hear anything about this arrangement going south, you two will be forced to sleep in the cabin by the pool, regardless of your unit.”

Several people winced.

“That thing gets infested with frogs and snakes.” Laura whispered to Carmilla. She must have seen the confusion on Carmilla's face.

“Now that that's squared away; finish breakfast and get to setting up. Meet back here for lunch, prepared for parents.” And with that, she walked to the kitchen, grabbed a burrito, and left.

“She's so intense. It's like she doesn't understand that camp is supposed to be fun.” Laura sighed after the doors closed behind the Camp Director. She cleared her plate of the last vestiges of hash browns and licked her fork clean.

Carmilla gave her a tight lipped smile. “That's my mother for you. Everything has to be as efficient as possible, no matter what.” She said, not even attempting to hide her bitterness.

Laura nudged her side. “If it's any consolation, she's pretty absent once children arrive, unless a situation happens.”

Carmilla opened her mouth to reply “I don't need consoling”, but she held it back. “Let's just hope I don't get myself into any situations, then.” She said instead, standing up and taking both of their plates over to the kitchen.

When she turned around, Laura was giving her a confused look. Probably from the _completely meaningless_ act of _basic human decency_ that Carmilla displayed in taking her dishes up for her. She gave the shorter girl a sly grin back. “See you around, cutie.”

//////

“Fairies?” Carmilla said again, her eyes tired as she looked at the program list Sarah-Jane handed her once they had moved all of their things into Aspen, the campsite they were in for the week.

“Yes, Carmilla.” SJ sighed, smoothing out her sheets. “It's only 10 Brownies. You can handle this. Brownies are easy.”

“I'm not complaining about the age group!” Carmilla replied. “It's the theme. How can you base a week of camp on fairies?”

“It's a lot of crafts and story-telling. The program is called Fairy Picnic, so we're going to help the girls plan a little picnic for Thursday!” Sarah-Jane was grinning, and seemed very happy that she got this unit.

“Alright then.” Carmilla said with a shrug. The concept of a week of crafts didn't sound too bad. “What kind of art things would we be doing with them?”

Carmilla must have had a knack for asking questions that caused over-zealous camp counselors to never stop talking. SJ commenced to gush for what was probably 20 minutes about all of the potential crafts they could do.

Once she simmered down, they worked together on a schedule for the week. Carmilla suggested maybe explaining the science behind fairy circles, but SJ frowned at the idea.

“Don't you think that takes away from the magic, though?”

Carmilla ran her hand back through her hair. “Not necessarily. The ring of mushrooms is because of a dead tree stump, right? So what if it's like... the fairies trying to help the spirit of the tree get through to the other side or something like that?”

“Or like a memorial of some sort?” Sarah-Jane perked up, and Carmilla nodded.

“That way the little squirts are learning something, too.”

“You know, I don't get why everyone dislikes you.” SJ said, and then clapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh jeez, sorry. That was so totally rude of me to say!”

All Carmilla could do was shrug. She wasn't stupid or unaware of her co-workers' opinions of her. Honestly, she didn't even care that much. She had Elsie and maybe Laura. “No worries. It's not news. Really, I couldn't care less what you all think of me. I'm here out of obligation.”

Sarah-Jane simply nodded and played with the frays of her cut-off shorts. “I think your idea is good, though. We'll work that into a story one night.”

//////

Check-in was officially confirmed as Hell on Earth in Carmilla's book. Over-protective moms were asking harebrained questions, like if bears were a problem in the area (they weren't, according to LaFontaine) or if their daughters were allowed to have cell phones (“it literally says 'no cell phones' in the info packet you signed”) or if it was really safe to have male counselors at a _Girl_ Scout camp (“how dare you insinuate that my brother is a-”)

“Carmilla! How about you and I switch out?” Sarah-Jane came up and said just as Carmilla was about to tear that mom a new asshole.

She snapped her mouth shut and gave the woman a curt smile and walked off to go watch the girls in her unit that had arrived already. There were four so far, and they were playing Red Light, Green Light. Carmilla cleared her throat and hesitantly said “Hey hey, Girl Scouts.” No response. It occurred to her that they probably weren't aware of that rule, yet.

The girls were preoccupied, anyways, so Carmilla sat at a picnic table and watched them. There was a girl at the back of the trio that was slowly approaching the caller that caught Carmilla's eye. She was absolutely tiny., ridiculously so, but she was sneaky. She crept up towards the girl calling commands before she even said anything.

“Counselor! Reilly's cheating!” One of the other girls said, and the caller turned around to look.

“I didn't see anything.” Carmilla said, holding back a mischievous smirk. “What are all of your names?”

The caller introduced herself as Katie, and the tattle-tale said her name was Tristan and then took it upon herself to introduce the other two: April and Reilly.

“Well, I'm Carmilla. Continue with your little game.” She waved them off.

“How 'bout you be the light person, Miss Carmilla?” Katie asked her.

Miss Carmilla? She furrowed her brow and then rolled her eyes.

“Pleaseeee!” All four of them dragged out and repeated over and over and over-

“Okay! Fine! Yes!” Carmilla stood up and took Katie's place. She looked over her shoulder and waited for the girls to all settle back in a line, and then faced forward. “Alright, yellow light.”

She heard the small patter of footsteps, and a harsh whisper of “Reilly, that is not walking!”

Carmilla snickered, and then called Green Light, then Red Light in rapid succession. She turned around just in time to see Tristan trip over her feet and face-plant in the grass, and Carmilla struggled to hold back a laugh.

//////

A group of ten second and third graders was a lot louder than Carmilla would have ever guessed. Even when they were all in their cabins making their beds.

“Good job keeping them occupied during check-in.” Sarah-Jane said as the two of them sat in the shelter house of Aspen, waiting for the girls to finish settling in.

Carmilla shrugged. “This age is easy to keep distracted, I guess. I just had to stand there.”

“You're like a completely different person with them.”

Carmilla narrowed her eyes. “What's that supposed to mean?”

SJ stammered and tried to explain herself, and Carmilla was satisfied in derailing any sentimental compliment the other counselor was trying to pay her. She needed to keep up the air that she disliked this job so that her mother wouldn't drag her back here every Summer.

“Look, just because I'm disillusioned with the world and am doing this against my will doesn't mean I'm gonna be a dick to little kids-”

“You really should watch your language.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes.

Reilly and April were the first ones to emerge from their cabin, and they skipped up to the shelter house.

“Hi, Miss Sarah-Jane! Hi, Miss Carmilla!”

“You don't have to call us 'Miss'. We aren't teachers. And since we have a Sarah in our group, just call me SJ.”

Both of the girls nodded, and Reilly gave Carmilla a gap-toothed grin. “You're real pretty.”

Carmilla couldn't help the genuine smile that crossed over her lips. “Thanks, kid.”

Eventually, the rest of their unit made their way out of their cabins and joined the group in the shelter house. Sarah-Jane gives them a rundown of the rules, explaining that there is no running on the gravel or dirt paths (only in the grass), the importance of drinking lots of water, that the girls must always have at least one buddy with them, and then, how to respond to “Hey hey, Girl Scouts.”

Carmilla went over what they were going to do that week, and all of the girls got very excited about the prospect of the picnic.

SJ took the initiative to start a name game so that everyone could introduce themselves.

After a half hour, Carmilla had their names down, and SJ challenged her to one last game.

“It's called Name Race. We both start at one spot, and then go opposite directions around the circle and guess each of their names. First one back to the start wins.”

“Oh, this is something I could get behind. You're going down, SJ.”

The little girls all cheered, some of them chanting “SJ! SJ!” and others “Carmilla!”

The counselors took their places, Sarah-Jane dropping into some sort of racing crouch stance that Carmilla thought made her look like she was trying a bit too hard.

“On your marks, get set, GO!” One of the girls shouted, and they were off.

Each name was punctuated by a tap on the head, and Carmilla breezed through easily until she met up with SJ, who was stuck on Reilly. Carmilla laughed, ruffled Reilly's hair, and said her name with a smug smirk to her co-counselor. Sarah-Jane groaned, said Reilly's name, and then desperately attempted to catch up with Carmilla, but it was too late. Carmilla was back where they started, her arms crossed, and the girls who were chanting her name earlier were going wild.

One thing Carmilla prided herself on was being able to remember names. She just enjoyed fucking with people and making them think she didn't care enough to recall them correctly. Especially when those people were Betty and Danny.

After a restroom break, which was accompanied by a lot of shrieking about spiders, they began the hike to the Dining Hall for dinner. SJ suggested they sing a camp song, and began a tale about a hippopotamus where the girls repeated each line back to her.

“Why aren't you singing, Miss Carmilla?” Reilly asked, tugging on the hem of Carmilla's shirt.

“I don't know this song.”

“But all you gotta do is copy Miss SJ!”

“You don't have to call us Miss, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Reilly waved her hand dismissively, and Carmilla laughed softly. This child was something else. “Sing with meee!”

Carmilla caved in.

At dinner, SJ and Carmilla each sat at one end of a long table that easily sat all ten of their girls. Laura and Danny, who were apparently together that week, walked to the front of the hall and called for silence. They explained dining procedures and other stuff about meals that Carmilla didn't particularly care about. Once they sat back down, Vicky called for the Brownie units to come up and serve themselves.

The girls were all enthusiastically munching on chicken nuggets, and Carmilla was about halfway done when she realized Reilly hadn't eaten a thing. The little girl absently pushed a nugget around the rim of her plate, taking a break every now and then to drink some water.

“Hey, squirt. Aren't you hungry?” Carmilla asked quietly.

Reilly merely shrugged. “I don't really like this dinner.”

“Well,” Carmilla sighed. “You're gonna have to eat something. What _do_ you like?”

Reilly looked up at her. “I like eggs.”

That elicited a snort from Carmilla, but once she saw Reilly's frown at her reaction, she attempted to wipe the amusement off of her face. “Hate to break it to you, but you can't have eggs for dinner.”

“At home, my mommy always makes me eggs or a toast sandwich or cereal or something like that, because she knows I like it.”

“You're at camp, though-”

“My mommy said you guys would understand!” Reilly snapped, and Carmilla pulled back.

“Woah there. Alright! Inside voice, please.” She held her hands up in mock surrender and waited for the other girls at the table to stop staring at them to continue. “Would you like me to talk to Vicky?” Carmilla asked in a low voice.

The girl nodded enthusiastically, and Carmilla walked over to the kitchen. She called the cook's name, and the woman came up to her with a wide grin. “Hey there, newbie! I didn't catch your name.”

“Carmilla. Listen, I have a Brownie who isn't eating.” She cut to the chase.

Vicky nodded. “That happens.”

“Here's the kicker: She said at home she only eats breakfast foods.”

The cook hummed. “Well, if it means a munchkin gets three meals a day, I'd be willing to whip up some eggs and bacon and such.”

Carmilla smiled. This woman seemed like a saint. So, four staff members who didn't completely hate her guts. Vicky agreed to make a small plate for Reilly for lunch and dinner for the rest of the week, and then went back to work on her meal for that night. Carmilla returned to her table and told Reilly, and the little girl's face lit up.

“Thank you so much, Carmilla!” She all but squealed. When Vicky came out and handed her a plate of scrambled eggs, the girl gave her a tight hug and thanked her, too. Carmilla smiled softly as she watched Reilly scarf down her meal, and from the corner of her eye, she spotted Laura staring at her with a curious look. They made brief eye contact before both of them shot their gazes back to their plates.

//////

The first craft of the week is their fairy wings, which initially (and outwardly) Carmilla was not enthused about. However, once they were in the craft hut, surrounded by colored poster board, bottles of glitter, and what had to be a metric tonne of pipe cleaners, she secretly became very excited about this week. Her and SJ circled around the girls as they worked, helping them whenever they needed it.

“Won't you guys make some?” One of the girls asked.

Carmilla looked at Sarah-Jane and shrugged. SJ nodded. “Sure, we'll make a pair, since most of you guys are finished.”

Carmilla sat down and cracked her knuckles before getting to work. She drew out a petal-shaped pattern on red poster board and cut it out before laying it flat and beginning a planning sketch of the design she wanted. With a steady hand and far too much precision, she made curls and waves of glue, quickly followed by a sprinkling of glitter. It wasn't until she was done and went to go shake her excess glitter off into the trashcan that she noticed all of the girls watching her with wide eyes.

“Those are so pretty, Miss Carmilla.” One girl said, and that quickly became a contest of who could say the most “so”s before the word pretty.

“Hey hey, Girl Scouts!” Carmilla said in a powerful voice once the volume became too much.

“Hey hey, Carmilla!” All ten of them said back, and then were dead silent.

Carmilla was taken aback briefly, unprepared for that sensation of power. She cleared her throat. “Who wants to see me try these on?”

Later that night, as Carmilla showered in the outdoor bathhouse, she attempted to wash glitter from her arms and hair. After 30 minutes and no results, she accepted defeat.

//////

The following day, everyone wore their wings to breakfast, even Carmilla. Every snide look she was given by counselors and CIT's, she responded with an indifferent, yet almost proud, upturn of her nose. Her girls loved it when she wore her wings, and she wasn't going to let the judgmental opinions of the lackwits she worked with get to her.

After lunch, they were back in the craft hut, this time, to make what Sarah-Jane called fairy houses. The first thing they had to do was go out and find some good sticks and other things from nature to use. SJ asked Carmilla if she would follow them out and supervise while she set up supplies.

The girls combed the field and the edge of the woods around the hut, each one loudly announcing when they found something particularly “amazing”. Carmilla leaned against a wall of the building and watched as they began to carry armfuls of material inside. When SJ claimed they had enough, Carmilla called everyone back, counting heads as they sat back at their tables.

“That's everyone.” Carmilla said, and so the craft started.

This one didn't really interest Carmilla as much, so she was content with just helping with glue. Some of them turned out really nice.

“So we're gonna let these dry, and come and get them tomorrow before our hike!” SJ said excitedly. That was something Carmilla was going to have to work on. She was bad at feigning enthusiasm without sounding sarcastic. “Now who's ready for pool time?”

The girls all cheered, and the sound brought a small smile to Carmilla's lips.

//////

“How much longer?”

“I'm thirsty.”

“My feet hurt.”

“I need to pee again.”

Carmilla was glad she was at the back of the line, because if she was in Sarah-Jane's position at the front, she would have stopped, turned around, and glared at each child that whined. She settled for clenching her fists and staring holes into the backs of their heads instead.

The hike was for them to place their fairy houses, and it had started off well. The girls were pumped, and full of lunch. Apparently, they just hadn't anticipated that hiking also meant walking. All of their houses had been settled somewhere, at the base of a tree or in a bush, and they were on the home stretch, thankfully.

Carmilla wiped off the sweat on her forehead and urged the girls in front of her to walk a bit faster, telling them that the sooner they got back to the hut, the sooner they could sit down.

When they finally emerged from the woods, several girls over-dramatically fell to the ground, and Carmilla couldn't help but roll her eyes.

“Who's excited for our picnic tomorrow?” Sarah-Jane asked, sitting in the grass with them. They all raised their hands. “Good. Good. What do you guys want to pack?”

Carmilla decided to settle down in the grass, too, and listened to SJ plan out their lunch. She leaned back on her elbows and her eyes drifted close. When she felt someone shake her shoulder, her eyes shot back open. Reilly was crouched beside her.

“Are we gonna get a special plate for me again?”

“Of course, sweetie.” Carmilla smiled. “I'll remind Vicky at breakfast tomorrow.”

Once the girls were all in bed that night, and SJ and Carmilla were lounging in their cabin, Sarah-Jane brought Reilly up.

“You know, each week you're going to have one like her. Like Reilly.” She said as Carmilla was reading. She looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow at the other girl.

“What do you mean?”

“Favorites.” Sarah-Jane smiled. “It happens. The kid really likes you.”

Carmilla shrugged and pulled the book up higher to cover her face.

“Okay, act all moody and distant.” SJ laughed, and Carmilla peered at her from over the edge of her book. She was doing something with string, but Carmilla didn't know what. “I knew you'd be like this. I'm not trying to have a heart to heart with you. I just wanted you to know that you're probably making that girl's summer, and she's going to remember you for a long time.”

Those words struck something in Carmilla's chest, but she couldn't place what. It was like a more intense feeling of the pride she felt when her girls grinned at her or gave her a genuine “thank you”.

“Tomorrow night is closing campfire. A lot of them cry. Just be prepared for that.” She flicked off her lantern. “Good night.”

“Night...” Carmilla murmured back.

//////

The picnic is a success. They have it in the Fire Field, which is the large grove in front of the Dining Hall where the main fire pit is. They all wore their fairy wings again (though it's not like the children ever took them off unless they were in the pool or sleeping) and Carmilla could hear the jealous voices of other girls inside the Hall.

“Why can't we have a picnic like them?”

“How come they get to eat out there?”

“Why didn't we get to make costumes?”

Carmilla smirked as she ate her sandwich.

The happy mood of the day carried on through the rest of their activities, until sunset. All five units and all of the counselors were gathered around a large fire that was being actively tended to by Danny and Kirsch (who both had opposing methods. Though, they managed to keep their bickering to a minimum around campers, it seemed.)

Everyone was singing camp songs, some of which Carmilla had managed to catch on to, and the atmosphere was something unlike anything Carmilla had experienced before. It was serene, despite the loud yelling that usually accompanied the faster paced songs. She found herself laughing with her girls and smiling at Sarah-Jane.

“Hey hey, Camp Silas!” A voice called from the center. It was Laura, and the glow of the fire flickering against her face made Carmilla's breath catch in her throat. Laura's gaze scanned the crowd around her, and when her eyes locked with Carmilla's she grinned. “I'd like all of my fellow counselors up here.”

Carmilla ruffled Reilly's hair as she passed her, and stood between Laura and SJ. “Do you remember any of the slow songs we went over last week?” Laura leaned over and whispered in her ear.

“Vaguely.” Carmilla lied. She remembered the ones she liked.

“Well they're easy to catch on to.” Laura took her hand, and Carmilla instinctually wanted to pull away, but then SJ took her other one and she realized all of the counselors were hand in hand, as they began to sing.

It wasn't one Carmilla particularly cared for, the lines were something about the sun and the moon and really made no sense. As soon as that ended, though, they went straight into another.

Maybe it was because she was standing right next to her, but Laura's voice rang out over the others. It was sweet and pure, just like her, and when Carmilla recognized the melody as one of the songs she knew and liked, she joined in.

Looking out into the crowd of girls, she saw some of the older ones singing along, the light from the fire showing the tears roll down their cheeks. Carmilla had been so caught up in keeping her apathetic air, she didn't realize that being around these kids was affecting her. Perhaps what Sarah-Jane had said the night before worked the other way around.

“Good night, Girl Scouts.” Laura said softly once the final note of the last song faded away to the sniffling (and some sobbing) of the kids.

SJ dropped Carmilla's hand and walked over to where their unit was, and Carmilla went to follow, but Laura squeezed her hand. Carmilla looked over her shoulder in confusion, and she saw the tears sparkling in the corners of Laura's eyes.

“Oh no, cupcake. I have crying kids to get to.” She tugged on her arm and ignored the tightness in the back of her throat. She was determined to keep her eyes dry.

“Alright. Yeah.” Laura laughed and wiped at her face, letting go of Carmilla. “I guess I do, too. The first and the last are just always the hardest for me.”

Something possessed Carmilla to reach up and put a hand on her shoulder and smile at her before walking away. She joined up with SJ and her unit, her children, and Reilly was immediately on her. Carmilla could feel the girl's small body rack with sobs.

“I... don't... want... to... go...” She managed out between gasps, and Carmilla felt a heaviness settle in her chest.

“Reilly, Reilly, honey, look at me.” Carmilla crouched down, so she could look the girl in the eyes. “You can come back next summer.”

“Will you still be here?”

Carmilla opened her mouth, and shut it again, not sure how to answer. “I don't know. Maybe.”

“I won't come back unless you do. You're my only friend here.” The girl's face was wet with tears and snot, and the tightness in Carmilla's throat increased. She looked over Reilly's shoulder at SJ, her eyes screaming help, but the other counselor must not have seen her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before hugging Reilly.

“I'll try to come back.” Carmilla whispered, and she hated the warmth from the tears that rolled down the sides of her face. She stood up and ruffled the little girl's hair, which elicited a laugh out of her. “SJ, lets head back to Aspen.” Her voice cracked, but she would deny that until the day she died.

//////

Reilly was crying again Friday after breakfast as the girls packed their bags, and Carmilla forced herself to ignore it and stay in the shelter house. She yawned and stretched out her legs.

“Tired?” SJ commented.

“Didn't sleep well.” She didn't divulge anymore information past that. She didn't need Sarah-Jane to know she had been kept awake by racing conflicting thoughts, but the other girl's smile told her she was aware.

Check-out was less emotional for the girls, but the pang in Carmilla's chest sprung up again as she heard Reilly's name called. Carmilla let out an “oof” as she was tackle-hugged by the small girl. “Hey, kid. Are those your parents?” She asked as she saw a lovely young couple wave their direction. She waved back and turned to Reilly.

“Yeah, they are. I'm gonna tell them I wanna come back.” She said. “I'll be a Junior next summer!”

“That you will, squirt.” Carmilla said, her voice strained. She cleared her throat and dislodged the girl from around her legs. “Go on.”

The girl ran towards her parents and jumped into her mom's arms. As they walked away, Carmilla heard a small “Bye, Carmillaaa!”

She swallowed the lump in her throat, shook herself, and focused on the last of her girls that were still there.

At lunch, after all the girls were picked up, the counselors mingled and shared anecdotes from their week. SJ was tucked under Kirsch's arm, and Laura was telling an animated story to LaFontaine, so Carmilla settled for sitting alone to eat.

Halfway through her meal, she heard the table groan as someone sat next to her. She looked over, and Laura was smiling at her.

“Hey there, sunshine.” Carmilla mumbled.

“The first and last weeks are always the hardest.” Laura said. She reached out as if to put her hand on Carmilla's shoulder or back, but withdrew the action. “I uh... I noticed you all week with that little dark-haired girl.”

Carmilla shrugged, but couldn't help the little smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “What about her?”

“If what SJ is saying about you is right... I mean...” Laura scratched the back of her head. “I don't know. I just think you got off on the wrong foot with everyone. And I really want to be your friend, and seeing you around that girl-”

“Reilly.”

“Okay, seeing you around Reilly really helped me realize that we have more in common than you think.”

“Listen, cupcake.” Carmilla put down her sandwhich and flipped her bangs out of her eyes. “This is a temporary gig for me. I'd rather just do seven more weeks and be on my merry way.”

Laura scrunched her nose, and Carmilla brushed off the fleeting thought of how adorable that was. “Please. You want to come back.”

The claim caught Carmilla off guard and she couldn't think of a quip fast enough.

“Being around Reilly made you feel important. It made you feel wanted, didn't it?” Laura pressed. “Isn't that what everyone wants? We're heroes to these little girls, and you have made a difference in that girl's life.”

Carmilla scrubbed her face with her hands and then looked back at Laura. “I know what you're trying to do, and it's sweet. But the arrangement I have with my mother really only allows for this summer, and I'd rather not work under her ever again. It's going to take a lot more than one lonely third grader to make me want to come back to this place.”

Laura sighed and stood up. “I can get that. Just...” She looked over at the rest of the staff and then back to her. “Consider it, okay? Because... some of us might want you back, too.” She said the last part quickly and then turned away, walking back to the others.

//////

Perry was something else, and a completely different animal than Sarah-Jane when it came to planning. Friday night and all through Saturday, Carmilla was stuck with her next co-counselor as Perry planned every single minute of their week down to a tee. Not that Carmilla minded. It left less work and brainpower for her. The only thing that piqued her interest was the large amount of crafts and lack of hiking.

Saturday night, she took her spot on the bench outside and read as she munched on a leftover roll from dinner. Her eyes flicked over to the door as she heard it swing open. Elsie strolled out and gave Carmilla a familiar grin.

“Wanna head back to Birch while everyone else plays games in here?”

Carmilla looked up at her, trying to find the words to describe a feeling that she couldn't even work out in her own mind. “I think I just want to... keep my distance.” She managed out, and turned her eyes back towards her reading as she saw hurt flash in Elsie's.

“Was it because we spent the week apart? And you're over me?”

While surely that was part of it, Carmilla knew it was a bit deeper than that.

“No. It was that thing with that kid of mine. I... I can't really get attached to this camp. I'm not coming back next summer.”

Elsie huffed, and Carmilla put her book down and glared at her.

“Excuse me? Are you a child?” She stood up and pretended she couldn't see the other counselors inside through her periphery. “Don't huff at me. You understand nothing about my situation. I am not here on my own free will. This is an arrangement of obligation. And this-” she motioned between the two of them. “Was nothing more than me getting a few fucks while I could.” Now, that wasn't entirely true, but she couldn't take back what she said without it discrediting her other words. “It would take a God sent miracle to get me to come back here or want to make “life-long friends”.” Carmilla mocked one of the mottos she randomly remembered from training week. “I'll put up with you guys and maybe make a few acquaintances, but when August rolls around, I'm out of here. You got that?”

It wasn't until after her rant that she realized her voice had grown in volume, but if she was good at anything, it was standing her ground. So, to keep up with appearances, she snatched her book up from the bench and marched away, not bothering to look behind her, even at Laura's faint call of her name.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my Carmilla tumblr blog, mistress-of-the-snark, for updates, tidbits, and inquiries.  
> Comments are always appreciated.


	3. Week 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Off of hiatus! Sorry it took me so long. The story will be much easier for me to write after this. Enjoy!

Laura was absently playing with an ant that was skittering across the picnic table in the Birch shelter house as she waited for LaFontaine to come out of their cabin. She let out a deep sigh, and the sudden sharp breath blew the ant away and off the edge of the table.

“Oops. Sorry little buddy.” She whispered leaning down to get a closer look and make sure the bug was okay. When it righted itself and scurried away, Laura smiled softly.

“Making new friends?” Laf said, startling her. She shot up and did horribly at masking her embarrassment. “Thanks for waiting for me to go to breakfast. Perr is still trying to wake Carmilla up.”

They both looked over to Carmilla's cabin, where Perry's voice could barely be heard through the wood and over the sounds of nature. Laura shrugged and stood up. “Let's go then. We can plan while we eat.”

Breakfast was waffles and homemade strawberry syrup. Vicky really spoiled them on the weekends when she didn't have to cook for 100 plus children as well.

LaFontaine and Laura were bent over a notebook that was nestled between their plates (and had a little smattering of syrup on it, but neither of them wanted to own up to whose fault that was) when the doors swung open violently, Perry storming through, followed by a non too enthused Carmilla.

“Sorry we're late.” Perry said tightly. “Someone seemed to think that breakfast started at noon!” She cast a pointed look at Carmilla who merely shrugged and then strolled over to the kitchen to get her breakfast.

Laura frowned as she watched her. She didn't know what happened, but as soon as the kids left Friday, Carmilla had snapped right back to who she was during pre-camp. She thought the dark-haired girl had finally seen how wonderful a job being a counselor was and would start to cheer up, but it seemed the opposite was true.

She was almost worse, now. So was Elsie, but that was reasonable given the way Carmilla had treated her. Laura had mixed feelings about that. On one hand, they weren't hooking up anymore, which meant Elsie wouldn't get fired. On the other hand, it obviously had a negative effect on them, and another sour attitude was the last thing staff needed.

//////

Planning that week was easy, and considering most of it had been done Saturday night, Laura and LaFontaine used their time between breakfast and lunch to talk about it a bit more and set up contingency plans for if the weather decided to work against them.

When check-in time rolled around, Laura stood by LaF's side until their first few campers showed up. Several of the girls knew Laura from last year, and they all gave her excited hugs, rambling about how great it was that their troop managed to all get in the same unit again.

As there will be with any group of small children, there was the “problem child”. They usually make themselves known within the first hour. Especially during games like Mafia. Laura had to hold back a loud sigh as the girl opened her eyes when she wasn't supposed to. When asked what her name was, she snapped back “Kayla”.

“Kayla, please respect the rules of the game and don't peek, okay?” Laura said in a voice that she has perfected over the years to be just the right amount of gentle and authoritative.

The group played a few more rounds of Mafia until LaFontaine joined them and informed Laura that check-in was over. They did a head count (only 8 girls this week) and then gathered up their things and headed to their campsite, Spruce.

“Are there spruce trees there? Can we have Christmas? What time is pool time? When are we doing the camp out?”

LaF and Laura made tired eye contact, sharing the known expression that said “this is going to be a long week”.

“Maybe,” LaF said tensely, “you'll find out the answers to all of your _lovely_ questions once we get there and unpack.” Laura bit back a laugh.

When they arrived at Spruce, the group was quick to split in half and go into their cabins.

//////

Monday began their two-day training regimen wherein LaFontaine and Laura alternated in teaching the girls basic survival skills. The sessions were only interrupted for meals, pool time, and on Tuesday a half-hour game session.

Laura lead fire starting and campfire cooking, explaining the different meals that the girls could make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all three of which they would be having over the course of their 24-hour camp out. The girls all seemed to get a grasp on the concepts quickly, and Laura forced herself to not react when LaF whispered something in her ear about fire starting being easier without a certain brooding distraction.

LaFontaine went over the animals of the region, warning the girls about snakes (there had been another black racer problem last week, but the girls didn't need to know that). One girl asked about mountain lions, which sent the rest of the group into a tizzy.

“Girls! Ladies!” LaFontaine barked and pinched the bridge of their nose.

Patting LaF on the back, Laura took in a deep and shouted. “Hey hey, Girl Scouts!”

“Hey hey, Laura!” They all said and snapped their mouths shut.

“We don't have to worry about cougars here. We haven't seen any sightings in a while.” LaF reassured them.

Trusting of LaFontaine and satisfied with that answer, they went back to listening.

The counselors taught knots together, explaining the uses of each one. Some of the girls had trouble, and Laura and LaF began to grow impatient with their defeatist attitudes, but they persevered and eventually all of them were familiar with beginner's knots.

Tuesday after dinner, the unit gathered in the shelter house of Spruce to plan out their meals and select their camp site out of a list of pre-approved locations.

Meal planning was easy. Really, any decision is easy with only eight 9 and 10-year-olds. What became a struggle was the location. With all ten of them gathered around a map of the land that the camp owned and certain spots circled in red, debates were shot back and forth about where to set up camp.

“That is too close to the river, we will be covered in mosquitoes!” One girl argued.

“Okay, but that one is so far away.”

“This one's too close.”

“Can't we just set up the tents here in Spruce?”

Everyone's heads turned to the girl who said this. “No.” They all said before commencing their bickering.

Laura blew out a sigh and stepped back, looking across the table at LaF with an exasperated expression. They walked over to her. “You know I'm all about girl lead activities but I think we need to step in here.”

Laura nodded and called the girls' attention. “Alright, ladies. Let's go through and cross off the ones no one wants to go to. We'll vote instead of shouting over one another.”

They all nodded and cleared a space for Laura to squeeze in around the map. “So no one wants the one near the creek because of bugs, right?” Laura put an X through that circle. “And not this one because that's a two mile hike.” Another X. “And not this one because it's only a 5 minute walk.”

After getting rid of those three, they had four to choose from. They discussed the perks and downsides of each one, and finally (and civilly) agreed on one.

The next day was spent gathering gear, supplies, and food. They ate lunch in the dining hall, went to pool time, and then they were off. They followed a trail for around 30 minutes, singing songs the entire way. When they finally emerged from the trees, they were in a clearing filled with wildflowers. The girls gasped and Laura smiled.

“Alright guys, let's set up camp!” LaF called out and headed towards the center of the field. The girls followed suit, and then began to pitch the tents. There was an initial struggle with them not working together and not communicating, but with some off-handed suggestions from Laura and LaFontaine, they sorted themselves out.

After the counselors finished pitched their tent, they asked for volunteers to lead expeditions for firewood. Once the girls were divvied up to three groups (tinder, kindling, and fuel), they set off into the ring of trees that enclosed them.

Laura and LaF sat down in the middle of the tents, and LaF began to pick flowers, making a flower crown while the two of them listened for any ruckus in the woods. Girls started filtering back in pairs, making different piles for each kind of wood. LaFontaine finished the crown and placed it on Laura's head, then got up and started setting up a basic frame with the bigger logs the girls had found. They waited to light it until there was enough of the smaller wood, and then called the girls to circle around. LaF explained what they were doing as they did it, and then pulled out a matchbook. Striking the match, they asked the girls to back up slightly, and then lit the fire.

Dinner went by without a hitch. Everything was cooked thoroughly, and the girls chowed down enthusiastically, all proud of the fact that they had actually cooked something over a campfire. As LaF oversaw s'more making, Laura got a text from Danny.

_Danny (7:30PM) Morticia is totally looking around for you._

Laura scoffed and rolled her eyes. She got herself a s'more and then shot Danny a reply, making sure none of the girls saw her on her phone.

_Laura (7:31PM) how do you know?_

Danny's reply came before Laura could finish her dessert.

_Danny (7:40PM)Well she's looking for someone and the only ones not here are you and Laf. I doubt she's interested in them._

That's just... Laura shook her head. Carmilla made it very clear that there was nothing keeping her here but obligation. It was a ridiculous notion to think that Carmilla actually gave two shits about her.

But it was still flattering.

Laura didn't reply.

The girls socialized for a while, and then sang a few slower songs around the fire before putting it out and retreating to their tents for the night.

“So who were you texting?” LaF asked as they settled into their sleeping bag.

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Hollis, I can tell when you're lying without even seeing your face.” Laura heard a click and then a flashlight was shining in her face. “Give me the deets.”

“Oh my god, LaF!” Laura giggled and shoved the light out of her eyes. “It was just Danny. Uh, checking in on us.”

“Uh huh. Okay. But you had a smile. The 'Laura has a crush' smile.” Laura tensed up. “And I know you don't have a crush on Danny anymore.”

“W-well. You obviously are just losing your skills of reading me, LaFont-” Laura stammered.

“Holy shit!” LaF whispered, rolling over closer to her. “It's Carmilla. Danny said something about Karnstein Junior!”

Before she could stop them, LaF reached for Laura's phone and typed in her passcode.

“How do you know that?” Laura demanded.

“It's the year we started coming to resident camp instead of day camp, doofus. 2003 isn't that hard.”

Laura crossed her arms and huffed as LaF went to her conversation with Danny.

“I knew it!” LaF shouted, and then clapped a hand over their mouth. “I knew it.” They repeated in a whisper.

Laura snatched her phone back. “Now that you're done making an ass of yourself, can we please go to sleep?”

“Come on, tell me what it is that you like about her?”

She would have been able to answer that if she knew the answer herself. It was something deeper than her looks (though those were definitely a factor). “Maybe just the way she carries herself. Her potential...” Laura murmured, laying down and looking at the stars through the mesh skylight in their tent.

LaFontaine hummed and adjusted themself back into their sleeping bag. “But she's so... stand offish. And totally not your type.”

“And what is my type, exactly?”

“Well, if the past in any indicator... girls like Danny.”

Laura's mind flashed back to all of her crushes she had throughout middle and high school, both during camp and the school year. She focused on one particular fling she'd had with another CIT back in her junior year. And LaFontaine was right. Her type was athletic girls with big smiles and booming laughs and large personalities. So what made Carmilla so special?

“Maybe that's why.” Laura said quietly. “Maybe it's because she's so different.”

LaF let out one curt chuckle. “Well I'll let you sort that out. If it's any consolation, I think she has a little thing for you, too.”

//////

Laura couldn't sleep. A combination of her mind being fifty places at once trying to process what she felt towards Carmilla and the fact that there was a particularly ornery rock underneath their tent, left her tossing and turning. She checked her phone for what had to be the thousandth time (2:30am) and groaned. With her eyes closed and sleeping bag seemingly shifted away from the rock, she once again tried to fall asleep.

There was a low rumbling sounding from LaFontaine's side of the tent, and Laura sighed. LaF had never snored in the past, but of course the universe chose this night to be the one where they started. She sat up and nudged her friend awake. “LaF. LaF you're snoring.”

They sat up as well and looked at Laura with droopy eyes. “N' I wasn'...” They slurred.

Laura's heart dropped. LaFontaine was up, but the rumbling was still there.

“Oh, shit.” They both whispered. Slowly, they approached the zipped up window and undid it.

Fuck.

Stalking and sniffing around the tents was a large mountain lion.

“LaF what do we do?” Laura asked, panic seeping into her voice.

“We stay calm.” LaF whispered, but their tone wasn't any calmer than Laura's. “It will go away if it doesn't sense any danger here.”

“I thought you said there haven't been sightings in years!” Laura snapped, her voice barely a whisper.

A low growl sounded from the beast, and LaFontaine clapped a hand over Laura's mouth, their eyes never leaving it.

Laura felt like she was going to be sick. _The girls. The girls._ She kept saying over and over in her mind. She shook her head out of LaF's hold, and making sure she was quiet, she said, “Don't you know any tricks for how to scare away giant cats?”

LaFontaine nodded. “I know one. But it's risky. I need you to get Danny on the phone.”

Laura called Danny as LaF grabbed their flashlight. “Pick up, Danny. Please...” Laura begged to herself.

“What's goin' on?” Danny said sleepily from the other line.

“Oh thank god. Danny, there's a cougar outside of our tents.”

“Christ. Okay. Is LaF handling it?”

“They're about to, right?” Laura looked to LaFontaine who nodded. “They wanted me to have you on the phone.”

LaFontaine carefully scooted themself closer to the window, and then turned the light on. “Hey, over here.” The mountain lion growled again and turned to face them.

Laura's heart was in danger of beating out of her chest and her hands were shaking.

Abruptly, LaF shined the light in its eyes, causing it to snarl. LaFontaine spewed a steady rhythm of the word “shit” as they waved the light back and forth across the cougar's face, but it was working!

The large cat was backing up, shaking it's head, and hissing, until it turned and ran away with a snarl.

“Hoooly fuck.” LaFontaine gasped and fell backwards into Laura's lap.

“We got it away, Danny.” Laura said into the phone.

“Good. Fill out an incident report and try to get some sleep.”

“Thanks, Dan.” Laura hung up and hugged LaFontaine tightly. “What would I do without you?”

“Probably die, let's be real.”

//////

The counselors elected not to inform the girls of the threat from the previous night as they started another fire for breakfast. The rest of their day went on without a hitch. The girls played some games LaF had come up with (and some Laura found on the internet) that incorporated their new-found survivalist knowledge, and went about like that until lunch. After they ate, they packed everything up and hiked back, the girls rambling about dreams they had. One of them mentioned something about a thunderstorm. Another said that she was being hunted by a tiger.

Laura and LaF briefly exchanged looks.

They arrived back at Spruce, and the girls grabbed their bathing suits before they all head over to the pool. When they got there, the girls went into the shower room to change, and Laura was scooped up into a hug.

“Hey Danny.” She laughed, hugging her friend back.

“I was so scared for you for the rest of the night.” The taller girl muttered. Laura patted her back.

“I'm okay, Danny. Everything's okay. You know how I feel about you worrying about me.”

Danny put her down and rubbed the back of her neck. “Right, sorry.”

Laura smiled up at her, reassuringly squeezing her hand and then walked along the pool deck. She grabbed a pool noodle and stationed herself as a watcher at one corner of the water. Laura liked being a watcher, because it required minimal effort while still being important. And she got to work on her tan.

She waved up at Sarah-Jane and Will, who were the lifeguards on duty, and they waved back to her. LaF took a watcher position at another corner of the pool after their girls were done changing, and was talking to Perry.

If Perry was here already, then so was Carmilla. Laura almost looked around for her and then shook her head. No, she was not going to act on this... minor infatuation.

But speak of the devil and he, or she, shall appear.

“Hey, sunshine.” Carmilla said as she approached Laura.

“Uh, hey Carmilla.” Laura replied, trying to keep her anxiety out of her voice. Carmilla smirked at her and Laura felt her heart skip.

“Where have you been?” Carmilla asked casually, looking out over the water and fiddling with her bracelets. “I didn't feel like asking anyone, because I really don't care all that much, but...” She trailed off and looked at Laura through the corner of her eye.

Okay, who gave her the right to pull yet _another_ 180? “You can't just flip flop back and forth between liking me and not liking me.” Laura pointed out. “As much as I want to be your... friend... I don't want to put up with any wishy-washy bull crap. You know what I mean?”

Carmilla crossed her arms and flipped her bangs out of her eyes with a head flick. “Okay. Sure. So... then let's be friends.”

Laura took a sip from her water bottle just as she said that, and promptly did a small spit-take. “Wait, are you serious?”

Carmilla shrugged. “I mean, I guess. It's whatever.”

Laura raised her eyebrows. “Can I ask what brought this on?”

“Well, I've had some time alone with my thoughts this week, during meals and such, and I realized that maybe... I don't like being alone... all... the time...”

She was no psychological genius, but Laura could tell this revelation was hard for Carmilla to confess. So to diffuse the tension, she playfully bumped Carmilla's arm with her fist.

The other girl jumped and looked at her with wide eyes before regaining her composition and hesitantly returning the gesture. “Uh, okay. Cool.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “Go do something productive, you goof. We can talk at dinner. I have a fun story for you.”

“How about closing campfire, when we aren't in such close quarters with the children?” Carmilla suggested. It was a reasonable request, so Laura gave her a thumbs up.

They didn't get that opportunity, however. Carmilla's girls had swarmed her and Perry, sobbing into their shirts and professing their love. Laura watched the spectacle with her arm around LaF. Carmilla knelt down in front of one Brownie and wiped the tears off of the girl's face with her thumb.

“She's so gentle with them.” Laura murmured.

“Yeah, she is.” LaF's tone matched hers, and then she knew they were talking about Perry. She looked over to Carmilla's co-counselor and smiled as Perry hugged two girls to her sides.

Danny started one last song, Laura's personal favorite. It was called Linger, and it was about the lasting memories camp made. She felt tears prick in the corners of her eyes as she sang along, and LaF tightened her arm around her. Some of their girls cried a little bit, too, but they were comforting one another.

When Laura looked back over at Carmilla at the end of the song, she was already staring at her. Their eyes met and Laura gave her a small smile that Carmilla returned.

Maybe they could work.

At least as friends.

Just friends.

All of the units somberly walked back to their camp sites after Danny brought the campfire to a close. There was some crying coming from the girls' cabins that night, but nothing Laura or LaFontaine couldn't handle with kind words.

After settling into her bed, which she didn't realize she would miss so much until after she spent a night with only a sleeping bag, Laura received a text from an unknown number.

_??? (10:47PM) Hey._

_Sunshine (10:48PM) uh, hey. who is this?_

_Carmilla (10:50PM) Carmilla._

_Sunshine (10:50PM) how'd you get my number? i mean we're friends and all now so it was a matter of time, but..._

_Carmilla (10:52PM) God, you even ramble in your text messages._

Laura blushed and quickly typed out a reply.

_Sunshine (10:52PM) i assume perry gave it to you?_

_Carmilla (10:55PM) Yes._

_Sunshine (10:56PM) sooo... you actually had to ask her for my number? like, there is now another living being on this planet that knows you don't hate everyone?_

_Carmilla (10:57PM) Don't push your luck, cupcake._

_Sunshine (10:57PM) i'm going to sleep now. i'll see you in the morning. :)_

_Carmilla (10:58PM) Sweet dreams._

_Carmilla (11:00PM) :)_

//////

“A smiley face?” LaFontaine laughed as they waited in the shelter house with Laura as their girls packed their things.

“Look!” Laura showed them her phone, and LaF shook their head.

“Next logical step is nudes.”

Laura coughed and shoved her friend. “I should tell Perry you're talking about such things while children are on camp!” She joked.

Check out went smoothly, and once all of the children were off camp, the typical Friday ritual began. Moving their things back into Birch. Cleaning. Lots of cleaning. And then dinner! Laura sat down with LaF, Perry, and Danny, and tried to not be obvious as she looked at Carmilla from across the dining hall.

“You two are disgusting.” Danny scoffed. “Just go talk to her!”

Laura blushed furiously. “Wh-what are you talking about?”

All three of her friends looked at her as if they were done with her nonsense. (They were).

“Look, none of us particularly enjoy her company, but you obviously do.” Perry said.

“Yeah, girl. Get over yourself.” LaF added.

Laura huffed and stood up, grabbing her plate. “Maybe I will.” She marched over to where Carmilla was sitting and sat down, shooting a glare at her friends, all of whom were laughing.

“Not that I'm not glad to see you, but what's with the attitude?”

Laura's gaze shot to Carmilla. Glad to see her? What? “Uh, well, they just think I'm stupid for wanting to be your friend.” It wasn't a lie.

Carmilla raised an eyebrow and looked at them before shaking her head. “That's fine. Maybe I don't feel like sharing you.”

Both of them seemed to realize the oddness of that statement, and stared at one another in tense silence for a solid five minutes. “Uhhh... So do you wanna talk to me about this attitude shift? Because you're giving me whiplash.” Laura laughed awkwardly.

“Look, I'm going through a lot right now.” Carmilla sighed and ran a hand back through her hair, which totally didn't cause Laura to cross and uncross her legs.

(It totally did)

“I'm trying to work some things out, and you're the only one here who isn't treating me like shit, okay?”

Laura frowned a bit as she realized that she hadn't been the nicest to Carmilla whenever the other girl wasn't around. She laughed at other people's jokes, and that was enough. Laura made a vow to herself to stop that.

“Okay.” Laura nodded. “So, who do you have next week?”

“Middle schoolers-”

“Cadettes.” Laura corrected, then pressed her lips tightly together at Carmilla's glare.

“With your buddy, LaFontaine.” Carmilla continued slowly.

“Awesome! I have Brownies with Elsie.” Laura froze as she realized that maybe Carmilla didn't want to hear about her. “Oh jeez, I'm sorry. That was thoughtless of me I-”

“Cupcake.” Carmilla held her hands up. “It's okay. I'm not some heartbroken teenager. Though, I would be more careful talking about me around her.” The two of them glanced at Elsie (who was staring at Danny with big puppy eyes as she told a story to Betty and Natalie).

“I think you owe her an apology at minimum.” Laura murmured, at which Carmilla snorted.

“She was a fling. We were both consenting adults, and from the beginning I told her it was a no feelings arrangement. Not my fault she got attached.”

Laura furrowed her brow and let Carmilla finish a bite of her food. “But uh, say someone did get attached.”

Carmilla raised an eyebrow and something flashed through her eyes as she looked up at Laura, but it was gone just as suddenly as it had appeared. “Tough luck for them, then.”

//////

Being around Elsie proved to be awkward at first. They didn't really know each other all that well considering Elsie had only started working last summer and they didn't have any units together before. However, Saturday during planning, Laura went on one of her infamous nervous rambles after she accidentally brought up Carmilla. After Elsie managed to calm her down, she explained that she wasn't hurt by the situation, just the way Carmilla handled it.

“She doesn't seem to be a very emotionally open person.” Laura said.

Elsie shrugged. “I know. But she can be really nice at times. You're lucky she's letting you in without you having your hand down her pants.” It was her feeble attempt at a joke, but Laura could see it still bothered her slightly.

“Hey, you don't want to get into a relationship with someone on staff anyways.”

“Says the girl who has two friends in active relationships with other people on staff.”

They both laughed.

“Okay, you got me. But Kirsch and SJ are some sort of miracle, and don't even get me started on LaF and Perry.”

Elsie nodded. “I'll be okay. Thanks for looking out for me. Now let's get down to planning this week.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my Carmilla tumblr blog, mistress-of-the-snark, for updates, tidbits, and inquiries.  
> Comments are always appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: carmunism.tumblr.com


End file.
